Systems and methods for efficiently charging power recovery controller

ABSTRACT

The inventive subject matter provides systems and methods for efficiently charging a battery of a vehicle using a regenerative braking system. In one aspect of the invention, the battery charging system includes a regenerative braking system that is configured to convert mechanical energy from braking of the vehicle into electrical energy. The battery charging system also includes a bank of capacitors that is configured to store the electrical energy generated by the regenerative braking system. The battery charging system also includes a circuit that is configured to feed into the battery at least a portion of the electrical energy stored in the bank of capacitors as a series of current pulses at a frequency that corresponds to a resonant frequency of the battery. The series of pulses includes constructive resonant ringing that is constructive with respect to charging the battery.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/806,350, filed Mar. 28, 2013. This application is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/161,485,filed on Jan. 22, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/140,780, filed on Dec. 26, 2013, which claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/806,302, filed Mar.28, 2013. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/140,780 also is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/726,828,filed on Dec. 26, 2012. This and all other referenced extrinsicmaterials are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Wherea definition or use of a term in a reference that is incorporated byreference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that termprovided herein, the definition of that term provided herein is deemedto be controlling.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is battery charging techniques.

BACKGROUND

The following description includes information that may be useful inunderstanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any ofthe information provided herein is prior art or relevant to thepresently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically orimplicitly referenced is prior art.

Traditional techniques of charging batteries are inefficient. Inparticular, when it pushes a current through a battery, only a smallamount of the current (i.e., charge) is retained within the batterywhile most of it is converted into heat energy. As such, the traditionalbattery charging techniques can take hours to provide a full charge to abattery or battery pack. They are also limited to charging non-primary(i.e., rechargeable) batteries such as Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)batteries or Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. In addition, once batteriesfall below a certain capacity and/or voltage, they are considered “dead”and are not recoverable using the traditional battery chargers that areavailable on the market.

Efforts have been made to improve the efficiency of battery chargers.For example, pulse charging, in which a series of current pulses is fedto the battery, has been known to be more effective than traditionalbattery charging techniques. For lead-acid based batteries, the currentpulses are also known to break down the sulfation on the plates, whichallows the battery to last longer.

With pulse charging, one of the varying factors is the pulse frequency.It is known that batteries usually accept charges most efficiently whenbeing charged with pulses at the batteries' resonant frequencies. U.S.Pat. No. 8,207,707 to Hart et al. issued Jun. 26, 2012, entitled “Methodand Apparatus to Provide Fixed Frequency Charging Signals to a BatteryAt Or Near Resonance” discloses a battery charger with a fixed frequencycharging signal at or near the resonant frequency of the battery to becharged.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,120,324 to Fee et al. issued Feb. 2, 2012, entitled“Method and Apparatus to Provide Battery Rejuvenation At Or NearResonance” also discloses the use of a battery's resonant frequency torejuvenate the battery that has lost capacity.

While different types of batteries have different resonant frequencies,different charge states of a battery also have slightly differentresonant frequencies. International patent publication WO2009/035611 toFee et al., filed Sep. 12, 2007, entitled “Method and Apparatus toDetermine Battery Resonance” discloses a method of determining theresonant frequency of a battery at different charge state so that pulsescan be generated at the correct resonant frequency to a batterydepending on the battery's charge state.

The above-described techniques have greatly improved the efficiencies ofbattery charging when compared with traditional charging techniques.Their efficiencies are good enough for charging batteries for smallappliances (e.g., AA, AAA batteries). However, existing technologies arestill not capable of providing good charge time for large batteries suchas electric cars' batteries. For example, Tesla® has reported that itselectric car batteries requires four hours to charge from empty to fullcapacity using a 240 V charger on a 90 A circuit breaker (best scenario)and requires forty-eight hours to charge the same using a 120 Vhousehold outlet on a 15 A circuit breaker.

Thus, there is still a need to improve on existing battery chargingtechniques.

All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extentas if each individual publication or patent application werespecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference isinconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein,the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definitionof that term in the reference does not apply.

In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients,properties such as concentration, reaction conditions, and so forth,used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are tobe understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.”Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth inthe written description and attached claims are approximations that canvary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by aparticular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parametersshould be construed in light of the number of reported significantdigits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstandingthat the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scopeof some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numericalvalues set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely aspracticable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of theinvention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from thestandard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.

As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the descriptionherein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise.

The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve asa shorthand method of referring individually to each separate valuefalling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, eachindividual value is incorporated into the specification as if it wereindividually recited herein. All methods described herein can beperformed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein orotherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and allexamples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respectto certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminatethe invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of theinvention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should beconstrued as indicating any non-claimed element essential to thepractice of the invention.

Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the inventiondisclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each groupmember can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combinationwith other members of the group or other elements found herein. One ormore members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group forreasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion ordeletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the groupas modified thus fulfilling the written description of all Markushgroups used in the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods forcharging a battery by providing a series of current pulses through thebattery. It is contemplated that feeding, through the battery, thecurrent pulses at a certain frequency that corresponds to the resonantfrequency of the battery helps aligning the electrons in the battery forbetter reception of charge from the direct current.

In one aspect of the inventive subject matter, a method of charging abattery of a vehicle using a regenerative braking system is presented.The method includes the step of converting, by the regenerative brakingsystem, mechanical energy from braking of the vehicle into electricalenergy. The method also includes the step of storing the electricalenergy in a bank of capacitors. The method includes the step ofgenerating, by a pulsing circuit and from at least a portion of theelectrical energy stored in the bank of capacitors, a series of currentpulses at a frequency that corresponds to a resonant frequency of thebattery. The series of current pulses includes constructive resonantringing that is constructive with respect to charging the battery. Themethod further includes the step of feeding the series of current pulsesthrough the battery.

The vehicle in some embodiments is an electric vehicle (e.g., electriccars, electric boat, etc.). The vehicle can also be a hybrid vehicle(e.g., a hybrid car). Furthermore, the battery can include a primarybattery. The battery can also include a secondary battery.

In some embodiments the bank of capacitors includes a super-capacitor.In some embodiments, the constructive resonant ringing includes adecaying oscillation of current. In addition, the method can alsoincludes the step of artificially enhancing the constructive resonantringing in the series of current pulses.

In some embodiments, the method can feed the series of pulses indifferent intervals. For example, the method can include the step offeeding a first subset of the series of current pulses through thebattery at the frequency during a first interval of time. The method canthen provides a resting period where no current pulse is fed through thebattery. The method also includes the step of feeding a second subset ofthe series of current pulses through a subsequent, second interval oftime.

In some embodiments, the resting period has a duration that spans atleast three consecutive current pulses in the first subset of the seriesof current pulse. In other embodiments, the resting period has aduration that spans at least the same amount of time as the firstinterval of time.

It is contemplated that operating the series of current pulses atdifferent duty cycles yield different efficiency levels in charging thebattery. In some embodiments, the series of current pulses can beoperated at no more than 50% duty cycle. When generating the series ofcurrent pulses that corresponds to the resonant frequency of thebattery, the method of some embodiments generates the current pulses ata frequency that is within 5% of the resonant frequency of the battery.The resonant frequency of the battery is a frequency at which thebattery accepts electric charges at an optimal efficiency within a rangeof frequencies.

Viewed from another perspective, the inventive subject matter provides abattery charging system for charging a battery of a vehicle. The batterycharging system includes a regenerative braking system that isconfigured to convert mechanical energy from braking of the vehicle intoelectrical energy. The battery charging system also includes a bank ofcapacitors that is configured to store the electrical energy generatedby the regenerative braking system. The battery charging system alsoincludes a circuit that is configured to feed into the battery at leasta portion of the electrical energy stored in the bank of capacitors as aseries of current pulses at a frequency that corresponds to a resonantfrequency of the battery. The series of pulses includes constructiveresonant ringing that is constructive with respect to charging thebattery.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventivesubject matter will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanyingdrawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the schematic of a battery charger of someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the schematic of a pulsing current circuit of someembodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates a comparison between current pulses with constructiveresonant ringing and current pulses without constructive resonantringing.

FIG. 4 illustrates the schematic of another example pulsing currentcircuit that includes an inductor for artificially enhancing theconstructive resonant ringing.

FIG. 5 illustrates the schematic of an alternative pulsing currentcircuit.

FIG. 6 illustrates the schematic of a battery charging circuit thatincludes a constant current circuitry and a pulsing current circuitry.

FIG. 7 illustrates the schematic of another battery charging circuitthat includes a constant current circuitry and a pulsing currentcircuitry.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the schematic of alternative exemplaryconfigurations for a battery charging circuit of some embodiments.

FIG. 9 illustrates the schematic of a circuit configured to rejuvenate abattery.

FIG. 10 illustrates the schematic of a battery charging circuitconfigured to charge the battery at a rapid rate.

FIG. 11 illustrates the schematic of a battery charging circuitconfigured to simultaneously rejuvenate the battery and charge thebattery at a moderate rate.

FIG. 12 illustrates the schematic of another battery charging circuitconfigured to simultaneously rejuvenate the battery and charge thebattery at a moderate rate.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate the schematic of a battery charging circuitthat can be integrated within the battery housing.

FIG. 14 illustrates a battery charging system specifically for chargingbatteries of a vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Throughout the following discussion, numerous references will be maderegarding servers, services, interfaces, portals, platforms, or othersystems formed from computing devices. It should be appreciated that theuse of such terms is deemed to represent one or more computing deviceshaving at least one processor configured to execute softwareinstructions stored on a computer readable tangible, non-transitorymedium. For example, a server can include one or more computersoperating as a web server, database server, or other type of computerserver in a manner to fulfill described roles, responsibilities, orfunctions.

The following discussion provides many example embodiments of theinventive subject matter. Although each embodiment represents a singlecombination of inventive elements, the inventive subject matter isconsidered to include all possible combinations of the disclosedelements. Thus if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and asecond embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subjectmatter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A,B, C, or D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term“coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which twoelements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirectcoupling (in which at least one additional element is located betweenthe two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with”are used synonymously.

The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods forcharging a battery by providing a series of current pulses through thebattery. It is contemplated that feeding, through the battery, thecurrent pulses at a certain frequency that corresponds to the resonantfrequency of the battery helps aligning the electrons in the battery forbetter reception of charge from the direct current.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example charger 100 of some embodiments forcharging a set of battery cells 105. The charger 100 comprises a powersupply 110, an optional constant current circuit 120, a pulsing currentcircuit 115, and a battery interface 125. The pulsing current circuit115 is coupled with the power supply 110 and the battery cells 105 andis configured to provide a series of pulsed current to the battery cell.The battery interface 125 comprises conductive materials and isconfigured to send a charge signal the set of battery cells 105.

In addition to the pulsing current circuit 115, charger 100 of someembodiments can include the constant current circuit 120 that isconfigured to provide a direct (constant) current to the battery. Insome of these embodiments, the constant current and the series ofcurrent are simultaneously fed through the battery. It is contemplatedthat simultaneously feeding the direct current and the series of pulsesthrough the battery can further improve the efficiency of charging thebattery.

As used herein, a circuit (or circuitry) is defined as a collection ofindividual electronic components, such as resistors, transistors,capacitors, inductors and diodes, connected by conductive wires ortraces through which electric current can flow. The combination ofcomponents and wires in a circuit allows various simple and complexoperations that are described herein to be performed.

The set of battery cells 105 has one or more electrochemical cells thatconvert chemical energy into electrical energy. The electrochemicalcells are coupled with a charger interface 130 for receiving a chargesignal from charger 100. The battery cells 105 can include a primarybattery or a secondary battery. As used herein, a primary battery (or aprimary cell) is a battery that is designed to be used once anddiscarded because the chemical reactions in the primary battery aredesigned to be not reversible. A secondary battery on the other hand,can be reused by way of re-charging because the chemical reactions inthe secondary battery are designed to be reversible.

In some embodiments, the power supply 110 provides a direct current (DC)into the constant current circuit 120 and the pulsing current circuit115. In some embodiments, the power supply 110 can be another battery.In other embodiments, the power supply 110 can include an alternatingcurrent (AC) power source (e.g., a household outlet) that works togetherwith a rectifier (or a converter) to convert the alternating currentinto a direct current before feeding through the constant currentcircuit 120 and the pulsing current circuit 115.

The system could also have an adaptor configured to couple the powersupply 110, the pulsing current circuit 115, and the optional constantcurrent circuit 120 with the battery cell. The adaptor could comprise aUSB interface, a direct clip connector, a proprietary jack, or anyvariety of polarizing male and female connector for connecting to abattery cell.

Although the adapter could include a power line such as the power linefound in a USB port, preferably the charger 100 includes a controller orprocessor (e.g., an integrated circuit, etc.) that is configured toobtain permission from the data and or control lines to siphon power tothe charger. The connection to the charger 100 could also be switchedsuch that the controller or processor could make or break the connectionin accordance with instructions received via a user interface of thedevice. Such instructions could arise from the detection of the onset ofa communication over the data line in particular where this is a sourceof power. It may also be appropriate to break the connection where anadditional power direct connection to a LiPo or NiMH battery consistingof any of the following connections including but not limited to a USBinterface, direct clip connector, proprietary configured jack and plugmodality or any variety of polarizing male and female connections isconnected to a dedicated input to the charging circuit. The device couldalso include means for providing data indicative of the status of abattery connected to the battery charger.

Different embodiments use different techniques and/or components toimplement the pulsing current circuit 115. FIG. 2 illustrates aschematic of one example pulsing current circuit 115. As shown, thepulsing current circuit 115 is coupled with the power supply 110 and thebattery cells 105. In this example, the pulsing current circuit 115comprises an oscillator 205 that is configured to provide a series ofcurrent pulses to the battery cells 105.

In some embodiments, the oscillator 205 is configured to generate aseries of current (electric) pulses from the power supply 110 and feedthe series of current pulses through the battery cells 105. Theoscillator 205 can include one or more circuitries, such as atransistor, a transistor driver, that work together to take a directcurrent and generate the series of current pulses. In some embodiments,the oscillator 205 can also include a frequency controller that allows auser (or a controller circuit) to control and/or adjust the frequency ofthe current pulses that are fed through the battery.

It is contemplated that providing the series of current pulses atdifferent frequencies to charge a battery yields different chargingefficiencies. As used herein, the charging efficiency of a battery isdefined as the amount of power input that is required to charge abattery from one charge state to another charge state. It is also notedthat charging a battery by feeding the current pulses at (or close to,e.g., within 5% of) the battery's “resonant frequency,” or its harmonicvariations, can yield optimal or near optimal efficiency. As usedherein, a resonant frequency is defined as a frequency at which thebattery (and any associated circuitry) can be charged with an optimalefficiency within a range of frequencies. In addition, the resonantfrequency yields higher charging efficiency than frequencies that areimmediately below and above the resonant frequency.

In general, the resonant frequency for a battery can vary depending onthe battery's chemistry and the battery's charge state. Differentembodiments use different techniques to identify the resonant frequencyof a particular battery at a particular charge state. For example, theresonant frequencies can be identified through feeding the battery(while at a particular charge state) with current pulses at differentfrequencies. One can then measure and record the different charge timeto charge the same battery from one charge state to another charge statewhen supplying the battery with pulses at the different frequencies.

Alternatively, it is contemplated that one can use the circuitrydisclosed in International Patent Publication WO 2009/035611 to Fee etal. filed Sep. 11, 2008, entitled “Method and Apparatus to DetermineBattery Resonance” (“Fee”) to determine the resonant frequency of thebattery at its current charge state.

As such, it is contemplated that the oscillator 205 is configured togenerate the series of current pulses at (or near) the determinedresonant frequency or its harmonic variations of the battery. In someembodiments, the oscillator 205 is configured to generate the series ofcurrent pulses at a frequency that is within 5% of the determinedresonant frequency (or its harmonic variations) of the battery. Inaddition, it is also contemplated that the pulsing current circuit 115can include the circuitry disclosed in Fee so that the pulsing currentcircuit 115 can dynamically adjust the frequency of the pulses to thedifferent resonant frequencies of the battery at the battery's differentcharge states during the charging process.

In some embodiments, when generating the series of current pulses to thebattery 105, the pulsing current circuit 115 is configured to generatethe pulses with constructive resonant ringing. The ringing isoscillation of current (echoes from current pulses) generated by theoscillator 205. These ringing “artifacts” have been perceived to be“noises” and useless in charging batteries. Thus, existing pulsechargers have used different techniques or filters to effectively removethese ringing “artifacts” in order to generate “clean pulses” to chargebatteries. However, contrary to what has been widely perceived, it iscontemplated herein that these “ringing oscillations” are beneficial tothe battery charging process. In particular, it is contemplated that theringing oscillations of each current pulse allows the electrons in thebattery to better realign themselves to prepare for the next pulse, thusfurther improving the efficiency of the charge. The battery chemistry,density, and physical spacing of the elements can produce adequatevariables for different ringing oscillations.

Therefore, the pulsing current circuit 115 in some embodiments isconfigured to produce the constructive resonant ringing after eachcurrent pulse in the series. The ringing is constructive with respect tocharging the battery. In other words, the constructive resonant ringingimproves the efficiency of charging the battery 105 (i.e., the batterycharging efficiency is better with the ringing than without theringing).

The constructive resonant ringing that occurs after each current pulsedecays over time. In some embodiments, the pulsing current circuit 115comprises an inductor that is configured to artificially enhance theconstructing resonant ringing to further improve the efficiency ofcharging the battery 105.

FIG. 3 illustrates the differences between current pulses withconstructive resonant ringing and current pulses without constructiveresonant ringing. In particular, FIG. 3 illustrates a view from anoscilloscope that shows two series of pulses, a first series of pulses305 on the top and a second series of pulses 310 on the bottom.

The first series of pulses 305 is shown to have constructive resonantringing after each current pulse. That is, each pulse in the firstseries is followed by a group of decaying ringing oscillation of currentin response to the current pulse. As shown, the group of ringing decaysover time until it completely dies out. In some embodiments, the pulsingcurrent circuit 115 is configured to produce current pulses that aresimilar to the first series of pulses 305 as shown in FIG. 3.

By contrast, the second series of pulses 310 (pulses that can beproduced by existing pulse chargers) are shown to not include anyconstructive resonant ringing after each current pulse. As shown, eachcurrent pulse comes to a plateau (e.g., plateau 315) at a higher voltagefor a period of time and then immediately comes down to flat or almostflat wave (e.g., no voltage or constant low voltage). Although somenoise can be seen after each pulse in the second series 310 through theoscilloscopic graph, the noise would not constitute a constructiveresonant ringing because the noise does not provide constructivebenefits to the charging of the battery 105.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic of another example pulsing currentcircuit 400 that includes an inductor for artificially enhancing theconstructive resonant ringing. The circuit 400 is almost identical tothe pulsing current circuit 115 of FIG. 2 except that the circuit 400incorporates an inductor 415 that is configured to enhance resonantringing of the series of pulses. The inductor 415 assists in resonatingthe battery relative to the physical attributes, as previously noted.

In addition to the constructive resonant ringing, the pulsing currentcircuit 115 of some embodiments is also configured to provide one ormore resting periods to the series of pulses. It is contemplated thatapplying resting periods between multiple subsets of pulses in theseries of current pulses would improve the charging efficiency of thebattery. In some embodiments, the pulsing current circuit 115 includes(or work with) an integrated control circuit to apply a first subset ofpulses in the series of current pulses to the battery for a firstduration of time (e.g., for 30 seconds), then rest for a period of time(e.g., for 30 seconds) in which no current pulse is applied to thebattery, and then apply a second subset of the series of current pulsesto the battery for another duration of time (e.g., 60 seconds). Thisprocess of applying a subset of pulses, then resting for a period oftime, and then applying another subset of pulses can repeat until thebattery is fully charged. In some embodiments, the pulsing currentcircuit 115 is configured to apply a resting period at least as long asthe time period between two current pulses in the first subset (thesubset of pulses immediately preceding the resting period). Preferably,the pulsing current circuit 115 is configured to apply a resting periodthat is of the same duration as the first series of current pulses(i.e., same duration as the series of current pulses immediatelypreceding the resting period).

FIG. 5 illustrates yet another example pulsing current circuit 500 ofsome embodiments for charging batteries. The pulsing current circuit 500is almost identical to the circuit 400 of FIG. 4 except that the circuit500 includes a transformer 515 and a capacitor 520. The transformer 515and capacitor 520 collectively act as a tank circuit and serve as amomentary storage device.

In some embodiments, the constant current circuit 120 can be disposed inparallel with the pulsing current circuit 115 in charging the battery105. In other embodiments, the constant current circuit 120 and thepulsing current circuit 115 can be integrated to provide a singlecharging signal to the battery 105. FIG. 6 shows an exemplary charger600 that combines a constant current with a pulse current to provide asingle signal to the battery 605. As shown in the figure, battery 605 isbeing connected to a power source 625 with positive voltage and thecharging circuit. The charging circuit 600 includes a shunt resistor 610that provides a constant current through the battery 605. The chargingcircuit 600 also includes a transistor 615 that works with a signalgenerator 620 to provide current pulses through the battery 605.Specifically, the signal generator 620 is configured to provide astimulation waveform as input for the transistor 615. The transistor 615in turn opens and closes the transistor switch in accordance with thestimulation waveform input. When transistor switch 615 is open, lowcurrent flows through battery 605 from the power source 625 throughbattery 605 and the shunt resistor 610 into ground. When transistorswitch 615 is closed, high current flows through battery 605 andtransistor 615 from power source 625 into ground.

In some embodiments, the signal generator 620 is configured to provide awaveform that corresponds to the resonant frequency of the battery 605.By closing and opening the transistor switch 615 in accordance with theresonant frequency of the battery 605, alternating high and low currentat the resonant frequency of the battery 605 is provided through thebattery 605.

In an alternative embodiment, an optimal resonance detector, such as thesystem disclosed in WO2009/035611 (Fee), could be used to alter thefrequency of the stimulation waveform as charges to ensure that thepulse is generally sent at the resonant frequency. In a preferredembodiment, the optimal resonance detector measures an optimal resonanceof battery 605 every hour, every 30 minutes, every 10 minutes, every 5minutes, every minute, or even every 30 seconds to adjust the frequencyof the stimulation waveform.

FIG. 7 shows the schematic of another exemplary battery pulse charger700. Charger 700 is almost identical as charger 600 of FIG. 6, exceptthat charger 700 includes an additional inductor 730 in the circuit. Asshown, an inductor 730 is disposed on the circuit between battery 705and the resistor 710 and transistor 715. The electric field generated byinductor 730 could oscillate with the resonant frequency applied by thestimulation waveform, thereby generating the constructive resonantringing as described above to further improve the charging efficiency.

Such exemplary configurations are designed to charge the battery withboth a constant voltage and a simultaneous resonating pulse. Portableequipment batteries could also be charged via the a battery connector byusing either on board or off board charging systems via an existingconnectivity port or to any other type of battery charging device.

A communications port could also be coupled with the charging circuitwhere the charging circuit is connected to at least one data line and/orcontrol line of the communications port, and where power is received bythe circuit during operation of any data line and/or control line of thecommunications port. By using such a communications port, it could bepossible to deliver power to a battery charging circuit while a devicepowered by the battery is communicating using the same line. Suchcommunication activity could include the transfer of data and/or controlsignals. A switch could also be provided to control the delivery ofpower to the charging circuit where the transmission conditions of theport dictate.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a LiPo or NiMHbattery could be charged by directly connecting the battery to a varietyof connectors, such as a USB interface, direct clip connector,proprietary configured jack and plug modality and/or any variety ofpolarizing male and female connections that are used or will be used tocharge a battery-powered device containing a communications port. Theconnector could include such devices as those disclosed in FIGS. 6 and 7to charge the battery while control signals are being sent through theconnector to a connected device.

Any such connector could have a compatible plug and/or a dc power supplyof correct voltage with a dual output consisting of a pulsed amplifierat resonant frequencies with a shunted dc output consisting of dcvoltage and current (20-70%) and frequency resonant charge (80-30%),respectively. Such a DC converter charging circuit could insert resonantfrequency oscillations and direct current into the battery at the sametime as discussed above.

FIGS. 8A and 8B shows alternative exemplary configurations showing waysa battery charger could convey both a pulsed charge and a constantcharge to a battery. As shown, a resistor or an inductor could becoupled in series with the battery, in parallel with the battery, orboth, depending on the battery properties.

Alternative circuit embodiments specialized in performing differentfunctions related to the battery charging process are also contemplated.FIGS. 9-12 illustrate four different battery charging circuits that areoptimized to perform different battery charging functions. Specifically,FIG. 9 illustrates a circuit 900 that is optimized to only rejuvenate abattery (instead of charging the battery). The process of rejuvenating abattery can be applied to any battery before the charging process. Insome embodiments, the rejuvenating process using the circuit 900 caneven revive a battery that has lost capacity (e.g., dead or close todead). A battery that has lost capacity cannot hold charge according toits manufacture specification. As shown in FIG. 9, the circuit 900connects to a power source 910 and battery cell 905. The circuit 900includes an oscillator 920 (that can be implemented according to themethod described herein) that produces the current pulses and aninductor 915 that artificially enhances the constructive resonantringing of the pulses in the same manner as described above.

The circuit 900 is configured to provide steady low current pulses(e.g., 10 mA-500 mA) to the battery 905 to rejuvenate the battery 905.Preferably, the circuit 900 is configured to provide a current of lessthan 500 mA to the battery 905. Even more preferably, the circuit 900 isconfigured to provide a current of less than 200 mA to the battery 905.After applying the steady low current pulses to the battery 905, thebattery 905 should begin to accept charges better than before therejuvenating. In some embodiments, the battery can regain full capacityafter the rejuvenation.

FIG. 10 illustrates another circuit 1000 for charging a battery 1005 ata rapid rate (i.e., rapid charging). The process of rapidly charging abattery can be applied to any battery when the battery needs to becharged up quickly. As shown in FIG. 10, the circuit 1000 connects to apower source 1010 and battery cell 1005. The circuit 1000 includes anoscillator 1020 (that can be implemented according to the methoddescribed herein) that produces the current pulses and an inductor 1015that artificially enhances the constructive resonant ringing of thepulses in the same manner as described above. The circuit 1000 alsoincludes a resister 1025 that runs parallel with the oscillator 1020 andacts as a shunt for generating higher current (e.g., 3,000 mA-20,000 mA)than the circuit 900 in FIG. 9. Preferably, the circuit 1000 isconfigured to provide a current of more than 3,000 mA to the battery1005. Even more preferably, the circuit 1000 is configured to provide acurrent of more than 10,000 mA to the battery 1005.

The circuit 1000 is configured to provide steady high current pulses tothe battery 1005 to rapidly charge the battery 1005.

FIG. 11 illustrates another circuit 1100 for simultaneously charging abattery 1105 at a moderate rate and rejuvenating the battery 1105. Theprocess of charging and rejuvenating a battery can be applied to anybattery when the battery has lost capacity (e.g., is dead or near dead).The circuit 1100 is almost identical to the circuit 1000 from FIG. 10,except that circuit 1100 uses an inductor 1125 (rather than a resistor)as a shunt. As shown, the circuit 1100 includes a second inductor 1125that runs parallel to the oscillator 1120 for generating moderatecurrent (e.g., 500 mA-3,000 mA) to the battery 1105. Preferably, thecircuit 1100 is configured to provide a current of no less than 500 mAto the battery 1105. Even more preferably, the circuit 1100 isconfigured to provide a current of less than 3,000 mA to the battery1105.

FIG. 12 illustrates another circuit 1200 for simultaneously charging abattery 1205 and rejuvenating the battery 1205. The process of chargingand rejuvenating a battery can be applied to any battery when thebattery has lost capacity (e.g., is dead or near dead). The circuit 1200is almost identical to the circuit 1100 from FIG. 11, except thatcircuit 1200 uses the battery 1205 in addition to the inductor 1225 as ashunt. As shown, the circuit 1200 includes a second inductor 1225 thatruns parallel to the oscillator 1120 for generating moderate current(e.g., 500 mA-3,000 mA) to the battery 1105. Preferably, the circuit1200 is configured to provide a current of no less than 500 mA to thebattery 1205. Even more preferably, the circuit 1200 is configured toprovide a current of less than 3,000 mA to the battery 1205.

It is conceived that the circuit 1200 can be even integrated within (orattached to) a battery, such that the battery can receive the samebenefits (efficiency and rejuvenation) as described above when it isbeing charged/recharged using a generic battery charger. FIGS. 13A and13B illustrates schematic circuits of such an embodiment. Specifically,FIG. 13A illustrates a circuit 1300 that can be embedded within abattery 1305. As shown, one end of the circuit 1300 is connected to thecathode 1310 of the battery and the other end of the circuit 1300 isconnected to the anode 1315 of the battery.

The circuit 1300 includes a function generator 1320, a transistor/MOSFET1325, and an inductor 1330. The function generator 1320 supplies awaveform to the transistor 1325 to produce a series of current pulses.In some embodiments, the function generator 1320 is configured to supplya waveform that corresponds to the resonant frequency of the battery1305 such that the series of current pulses is fed through the battery1305 at a frequency that corresponds to the resonant frequency of thebattery 1305. The inductor 1330 is configured to artificially enhancethe constructive resonant ringing as described above. FIG. 13Billustrates a schematic of the circuit 1300.

As used herein, a resonant frequency is defined as a frequency at whichthe battery (and any associated circuitry) can be charged with anoptimal efficiency within a range of frequencies. In addition, theresonant frequency yields higher charging efficiency than frequenciesthat are immediately below and above the resonant frequency. In someembodiments, the second circuit comprises a pulsed current circuitdisclosed in U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 13/726,828 toPowell entitled “Power Recovery Controller”, filed Dec. 26, 2012, whichis herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. In someembodiments, each current pulse in the series comprises a main pulse anda group of ringing decaying pulses.

In some embodiments, the series of current pulses and the constantcurrent can be combined together as a single charging signal to be fedthrough the battery.

In some embodiments, the system also comprises an adaptor configured tocouple the power source, the first circuit, and the second circuit withthe battery cell. The adaptor can comprise a USB interface, a directclip connector, a proprietary jack, or any variety of polarizing maleand female connector for connecting to a battery cell.

Although the port may include a power line such as is found, forexample, in a USB port, preferably the charging circuit obtainspermission from the data and or control lines. Conveniently, theconnection to the charging circuit is switched such that the controlleror processor may make or break the connection in accordance withinstructions received via a user interface of the device. Suchinstructions could arise from the detection of the onset of acommunication over the data line in particular where this is a source ofpower. It may also be appropriate to break the connection where anadditional power direct connection to a LiPo or NiMH battery consistingof any of the following connections including but not limited to a USBinterface, direct clip connector, proprietary configured jack and plugmodality or any variety of polarizing male and female connections isconnected to a dedicated input to the charging circuit. The device mayalso include means for providing data indicative of the status of abattery connected to the battery charger.

This configuration is designed to resonate and charge the battery with adirect current input simultaneously. This method is designed to chargeportable equipment batteries via the portable equipments batteryconnector with either on board or off board charging systems viaexisting connectivity or to any battery charging device.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provideda battery powered device including a communications port and a chargingcircuit connectable to a battery, the charging circuit being connectedto at least one data and/or control line of said port, whereby power isreceived by said circuit during operation of said at least one line.

Particularly it is possible to deliver power to a battery chargingcircuit during communication activity between the device and a furtherdevice connected via suitable cabling thereto. Such communicationactivity may include the transfer of data and/or control signals. Aswitch may be provided to control the delivery of power to the chargingcircuit where the transmission conditions of the port dictate.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method with direct connection to a LiPo or NiMH battery consisting ofany of the following connections including but not limited to a USBinterface, direct clip connector, proprietary configured jack and plugmodality or any variety of polarizing male and female connectionscharging a battery powered device containing a communications port, saiddevice further including a resonant and shunting charging circuitconnectable to a battery, the method comprising connecting said chargingcircuit to at least one data and/or control line during delivery of dataand/or control signals to said port whereby power is supplied from saidat least one line to the charging circuit.

All of which are composed of a compatible plug, a dc power supply ofcorrect voltage with a dual output consisting of a pulsed amplifier atresonant frequencies with a shunted dc output consisting of dc voltageand current (20-70%) and frequency resonant charge (80-30%) Said DCconverter charging circuit inserting resonant frequency oscillations anddirect current into the battery at the same time.

Cooperating with a Regenerative Braking System to Charge a Battery

The battery charging methodology as disclosed herein can be used in manydifferent battery charging applications. One such application is to usethe charger as described above in a battery powered vehicle (e.g.,electric or hybrid vehicle). In order to conserve energy, it is knownthat many of these battery powered vehicle use a regenerative brakingsystem to recharge the battery of the vehicle.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of a vehicle battery charging system 1400that cooperates with a regenerative braking system to recharge thebattery of a vehicle. The battery charging system 1400 includes aregenerative braking system 1405, a temporary energy storage 1410, acharging circuit 1415, and a battery 1420. The battery 1420 can includeas many cells as one desires in order to power the motor of the vehicle.

The regenerative braking system 1405 is an energy recovery mechanismwhich slows a vehicle down by converting its kinetic energy intoelectrical energy. The electrical energy will then be used to re-chargethe battery for powering the vehicle. It is noted that the electricalenergy generated by the regenerative braking system 1405 can come inbursts. That is, a lot of electrical energy can be generated in a shortperiod of time when the vehicle is braking, and no energy is generatedwhen the vehicle is not braking. It is also noted that batteries aregenerally not very receptive to large amount of electricity all at once.Therefore, the battery charging system 1400 of some embodiments includesa temporary energy storage 1410 for temporarily storing the electricalenergy before being released to charge the battery 1420.

In some embodiments, the temporary energy storage 1410 can comprise abank of capacitors. Preferably, the temporary energy storage 1410comprises a bank of super capacitors. The regenerative braking system1405 in some embodiments includes an alternator that takes energy fromthe rotor moving to generate electricity. One side effect of thistransformation of energy is the slowing down of the vehicle. The batterycharging system 1400 stores all of the electrical energy from theregenerative braking system 1405 in the temporary energy storage 1410before feeding through the battery 1420.

Temporarily storing the electrical energy in the temporary energystorage 1410 before feeding to the battery 1420 prevents bursts ofelectricity to be directed to the battery 140 all at once. Instead, thetemporary energy storage 1410 allows electricity to be built up beforeslowly feeding to the battery 1420 at a pace that is optimal toefficiently charging the battery. As efficiency improves, lesselectricity is being wasted.

In some embodiments, the battery charging system 1400 includes acharging circuit 1415 configured to manage the pace and the manner inwhich electricity is fed through the battery 1420. In some of theseembodiments, the charging circuit 1415 can include a charger 100 of

FIG. 1. Thus, the charging circuit 1415 of some embodiments can includea pulsing current circuitry 115 configured to generate a series ofcurrent pulses from at least a portion of electrical energy that isstored in the temporary energy storage 1410. As mentioned above, theseries of pulses is generated at a frequency that corresponds to aresonant frequency (e.g., within 5% of the resonant frequency) of thebattery 1420. The charging circuit 1415 is also configured to feed theseries of current pulses through the battery 1420.

Optionally (but not necessarily), the charging circuit 1415 can alsoinclude the constant current circuitry 120. In these embodiments, thecharging circuit 1415 can simultaneously provide a constant current andthe series of current pulses through the battery 1420.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many moremodifications besides those already described are possible withoutdeparting from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subjectmatter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of theappended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification andthe claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possiblemanner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises”and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements,components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that thereferenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized,or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are notexpressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at leastone of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . andN, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from thegroup, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of charging a battery of a vehicle usinga regenerative braking system, comprising: converting, by theregenerative braking system, mechanical energy from braking of thevehicle, into electrical energy; storing the electrical energy in a bankof capacitors; generating, by a pulsing circuit and from at least aportion of the electrical energy stored in the bank of capacitors, aseries of current pulses at a frequency corresponding to a resonantfrequency of the battery, wherein the series of current pulses comprisesconstructive resonant ringing that is constructive with respect tocharging the battery; and feeding the series of current pulses throughthe battery.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bank of capacitorscomprises a super-capacitor.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thevehicle is an electric vehicle.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thevehicle is a hybrid vehicle.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein theconstructive resonant ringing comprises a decaying oscillation ofcurrent.
 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising artificiallyenhancing the constructive resonant ringing in the series of currentpulses.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery comprises aprimary battery.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery comprisesa secondary battery.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein feeding theseries of current pulses comprises: feeding a first subset of the seriesof current pulses through the battery at the frequency during a firstinterval of time; providing a resting period where no current pulse isfed through the battery; and feeding a second subset of the series ofcurrent pulses through the battery at the resonant frequency during asubsequent, second interval of time.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinthe resting period has a duration that spans at least three consecutivecurrent pulses in the first subset of the series of current pulses. 11.The method of claim 9, wherein the resting period has a duration thatspans at least the same amount of time as the first interval of time.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of current pulses isoperated at a duty cycle of no more than 50%.
 13. The method of claim 1,wherein feeding the series of current pulses comprises feeding thepulses at a frequency that is within 5% of the resonant frequency of thebattery.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the resonant frequency ofthe battery is a frequency at which the battery accepts electric chargesat an optimal efficiency within a range of frequencies.
 15. A batterycharging system for charging a battery of a vehicle, comprising: aregenerative braking system configured to convert mechanical energy frombraking of the vehicle into electrical energy; a bank of capacitorsconfigured to store the electrical energy generated by the regenerativebraking system; and a circuit configured to feed into the battery atleast a portion of the electrical energy stored in the bank ofcapacitors as a series of current pulses at a frequency corresponding toa resonant frequency of the battery, wherein the series of pulsescomprises constructive resonant ringing that is constructive withrespect to charging the battery.
 16. The battery charging system ofclaim 15, wherein the capacitors are super-capacitors.
 17. The batterycharging system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is an electric vehicle.18. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is ahybrid vehicle.
 19. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein theconstructive resonant ringing comprises a decaying oscillation ofcurrent.
 20. The battery charging system of claim 19, further comprisingartificially enhancing the constructive resonant ringing in the seriesof current pulses.
 21. The battery charging system of claim 15, whereinthe battery comprises a primary battery.
 22. The battery charging systemof claim 15, wherein the battery comprises a secondary battery.
 23. Thebattery charging system of claim 15, wherein the circuit is furtherconfigured to: feeding a first subset of the series of current pulsesthrough the battery at the frequency during a first interval of time;providing a resting period of a duration where no current pulse is fedthrough the battery; and feeding a second subset of the series ofcurrent pulses through the battery at the frequency during a subsequent,second interval of time.
 24. The battery charging system of claim 23,wherein has a duration that spans at least three consecutive currentpulses in the first subset of the series of current pulses.
 25. Thebattery charging system of claim 23, wherein the resting period has aduration that spans at least the same amount of time as the firstinterval of time.
 26. The battery charging system of claim 15, whereinthe series of current pulses is operated at a duty cycle of no more than50%.
 27. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein feeding theseries of current pulses comprises feeding the pulses at a frequencythat is within 5% of the resonant frequency of the battery.
 28. Thebattery charging system of claim 15, wherein the resonant frequency ofthe battery is a frequency at which the battery accepts electric chargesat an optimal efficiency within a range of frequencies.